Heading into the offseason after winning the first Stanley Cup in franchise history, the Capitals were assured to come back next year with their top-9 intact and, after coming to terms with John Carlson on a massive deal, the possibility of their top-4 on defense still together as well. While the core was secured, many of the question marks in relation to next season were centered around the team’s depth.

Wednesday, one of those questions — would clutch playoff performer Devante Smith-Pelly, who potted seven goals in the postseason despite a pedestrian regular season, get an encore with Washington? — was answered before free-agency began. Smith-Pelly, now a fan-favorite, signed a one-year, $1 million deal to stick around with the Capitals. This was what he wanted all along.

Monday afternoon, Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan took to the podium after the reality-inducing announcement that Barry Trotz would not return as head coach of the team. In the press conference, MacLellan addressed all topics of the job opening, including the “sticking point” for a deal with Trotz and his thoughts about apparent front-runner for the job, Todd Reirden.

Unsurprisingly, both money and term were impasses to a deal, according to MacLellan. Trotz wanted a five-year deal, at a dollar value near other Stanley Cup-winning coaches. The Capitals just weren’t willing to give that to him.

After partying nearly non-stop since Thursday night, Alex Ovechkin and Braden Holtby guested on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. In their short segment on the show, the Caps stars discussed the new Sports Illustrated cover, talked about Holtby’s strategy as goalie, and took swigs from the Stanley Cup with Fallon.

After a well-documented weekend bender to celebrate the Capitals’ Stanley Cup victory, Alex Ovechkin and Braden Holtby had some hard-earned time off from alcohol. The pair took Lord Stanley along on a day trip to New York ahead of Tuesday’s victory parade in DC to guest on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Instead of partying, the two, along with Jimmy Fallon and Triple Crown-winning jockey Mike Smith… Oh wait, they’re drinking out of the Stanley Cup again.

In Game Three of the Stanley Cup Final against the Capitals, the Vegas Golden Knights offense struggled, only generating 22 shots on goal and scoring just once, a layup gift-wrapped by Braden Holtby. Heading into Game Four, the Golden Knights trail in the series 2-1 and, for the first time in franchise history, face a significant uphill climb to win a postseason series.

In order to produce more offense and change the flow of the series, Knights coach Gerard Gallant has shaken up his team’s lines. Forward Tomas Tatar will play after being scratched for the first three games of the series, skating on the third line with Cody Eakin and Ryan Carpenter. It looks as if David Perron, who has skated on the second line during the Stanley Cup Final, will be bumped from the lineup with winger Alex Tuch receiving the promotion to Perron’s spot.

As has been well documented, 7th Street was pandemonium after the Capitals pulled out a 3-1 win in Game Three of the Stanley Cup Finals. Caps fans celebrated on the steps of the Portrait Gallery, as is now tradition, with possibly their most energy ever. From chanting to holding up inflatable Stanley Cups, the DC faithful expressed their jubilation after years of playoff misery.

In a decision definitely not at all fueled by liquids only available to people over 21 years of age, one fan channeled his energy into climbing a lamppost. He was on it for nearly 15 minutes. And he was promptly arrested when he returned to the safety of the ground.